Anyone who has been working on mainframes for any length of time knows that things are always changing. Many people can remember when DB2 was new (1983), the client-server period, and the need for Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA). And, I’m sure, can come up with a much longer list. I don’t want to look backwards at old ideas, I want to take a whirlwind look at what’s coming soon to (at least) a presentation near you.

People keep asking me why I am so excited about the Blockchain, and why I see it as an enabler for the mainframe. I am obviously a fan of the mainframe, and I see a lot of activity in a number of verticals that are creating a really neat rebirth where the mainframe is concerned (beyond where it has existed for many years). Retail is wrestling with Omnichannel, Healthcare is wrestling with personalized health records and of course Finance is wrestling with Blockchain.

Most of you are undoubtedly familiar with one of the biggest buzz terms in the industry by now: blockchain. If not, have a quick read of a great article from a few months ago in The Wall Street Journal, CIO Explainer: What Is Blockchain?

Interesting article by Stephen D. Bartlett at the Clipper Group about running Blockchain on the mainframe: IBM’s Blockchain Initiatives — More Secure with Mainframe Systems.

How IBM Mainframes Support the Blockchain Process Model
The assurance of a secure environment and very fast and efficient cryptographic processing are essential elements of the Blockchain model. It can be strongly argued that IBM mainframe security technologies, particularly those embodied in the latest generation of z Systems, the z13 , z13s and LinuxONE family, are the “gold standard” for the IT industry with respect to these important requirements.